Clothes washing machine



Feb. 14, 1933. P, F. CHAPMAN 1,897,239

CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 10, 1951 I 23 za I77U677'Z'O7 Patented Feb. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OF FICE PAUL F. CHAPMAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS I CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Application filed October 10, 1931. Serial No. 568,026.

rality of tangentially projecting blades or fins, diminishing in diameter from bottom to top, said fins being operative to agitate and tumble clothes or other fabrics placed within the receptacle to insure proper cleaning.

thereto.

A still further object of the present invention resides in the provision of vanes projecting inwardly from the internal surface of said receptacle, and preferably tangential The function of these vanes is to turn the clothes, at least partially, as the clothes are brought into engagement therewith during actuation-of the dolly, thus constantly presenting different surfaces of the clothes or other fabrics to the scrubbing ac tioili of the corrugated interior of the receptac e.

A still further object of the invention resides in so constructing the fins or blades of my novel dolly that, when oscillated in one direction said fins will'have a direct push against said clothes, and when oscillated in a reverse direction will tend to turn said clothes and force the same downwardly, thus resulting in a constant shifting of the clothes within the receptacle and a thorough washing thereof. K

Other objects and features of the present invention reside in the particular construc tion and arrangement of parts thereof, and all of the foregoing, together with other objects and features of the invention, details of construction, combinations of parts, and advantages, will be hereinafter pointed out, described and claimed.

Referring to the drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

more fully Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my novel clothes washing machine with the cover removed;

Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view with the cover in place; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of an alternative dolly. V

Referring now to the drawing, for a. particular description of'the invention, its construction and operation, 1 designates a receptacle having a corrugated interior 2. These corrugations, as will be readily understood, may be of any shape or design, that shown herein being for illustrative purposes only.

Said receptacle 1 is mounted on legs or supports 3, and has a plate or casting 4 fixed thereto by bolts 5 or in any other desired manner. The plate 4 has-projecting vertically therefrom a sleeve 6 through which projects a vertical shaft 7 driven by a worm gear 8, said worm gear being supported in the housing 9 and said housing 9 being fixed to the plate 4 as at 10. A stuffing box 11 is provided to prevent leakage past the shaft 7.

The worm gear 8 is driven by a worm 12 mounted on a shaft 13 and driven by the motor 14. The means of operating the vertical shaft 7 is illustrated in conventional form only, as this may be any of the standard operating means for either rotating or oscillating the shaft 7.

A collar 15 is pinned to the shaft 7 at 16, and rests on the top of the sleeve 6 as a support. The up er end of the drive shaft 7 is squared, as at 1% being seated in the squared recess 18 in the dolly 19. The upper end of the dolly 19 is reduced in diameter as illustrated at 20, and has a bearing in a bushing 21 carried by the cover 22. The said cover 22 seats over the reenforcing collar 23 surrounding the upper open end of the receptacle 1 and having a corrugated inner bore to cooperate with the corrugations 2. The dolly 19 is provided with a plurality of tangentially pro ecting fins 24 having the vertical faces 25. Thus, assuming that a charge of clothes or other fabrics is inserted in the receptacle 1 and that the dolly 19 is rotated in the direction of the arrow illustrated in Fig. 1, the vertical faces 25 of the the squared end of said shaft 85 abase33toseatwithin terior of the receptacle, agitating the same and turning the same to present new surfaces to, the scrubbing effect of the internal corrugations 2. From a glance at the drawing it will be evident that the fins 24 in size or diameter from the bottom upwardly, thus increasing the agitating efliciency of the dolly. v

Pr0jecting inwardly from the interior of the receptacle 1, and tangentially thereto, are a plurality of fixed vanes 26, in vertical reg-. ister with the fins 24. Thus, as the dolly 19 is. rotated, the clothes, actuated by the fins 24, will encounter the proj ecting vanes 26 and be turned, or partially turned thereby, this action also presenting new surfaces to the scrubbing efiect of the corrugated interior'2.

Clothes subjected to a washing operation in my novel machine will thus be thoroughly cleansed in a minimum of time, because of the many cleaning, agitating, turning and scrubbing elements.

A machine of this type is extremely simple and economical to build, and yet is highly efiicient in operation.

The sleeve 6 projects above the internal bottom of the receptacle 1 a distance preferably 4 as great or greater than the normal height of the water or cleaning fluid carried by said receptacle, thus minimizing possibility of leakage.

In Fig. 3 Lhave illustrated anlalternative form of dolly 27. having a reducedend 28 to engage the bushing 21 in the cover. 22, and having the projecting fins 29. Each of these fins has a vertical face 30 and aniliclined or rounded face 31, on one side thereof, and on the opposite side thereof is provided with an overhang 32, preferably arcuate in shape; Each of the dollies 19 and 27 is pfdvided with the recess 34 in the plate 4.

Now, assuming the dolly 27 to be substituted for the dolly 19, and a charge of clothes positioned within the receptacle 1. The movement of the dolly 27 will preferably be an os-. cillatory movement, rather than rotational. Thus, on oscillation to the left, Fig; 3, the vertical face 30 will have a pushing effect on the clothes in said receptacle, cooperating with the corrugated interior '2 and vanes 26 in the same manner as the fins 24. The inclined faces 31 will have a tendency to raise the clothes, increasing the agitation thereof. On

oscillation in the opposite direction, or to the right, Fig.3, the overhang 32 will turn said clothes and force the same downwardly,-thus thoroughly tumbling the clothes during the washing action, and resulting in a complete washing and cleaning thereof; Either of the dollies 19 or 27 may be utilized in my novel machine with equalfacility, being readily interchangeable.

I believe that the washing machine and dolly illustrated in this ap lication a're novel i and have therefore claime the same broadly in the present application.

While I have necessarily described my present invention somewhat in detail, it will be appreciated that I may vary the size, shape and arrangement of parts within reasonably wide limits without departing froni the spirit of the invention.

My invention fined in the form of claims as follows:

1. In a washing machine, a receptacle, a cover therefor, a power shaft extending upisfurther described and dea wardly into said receptacle from the bottom thereof. and terminating at its upper end below the cover, a dolly removably mounted on the upper end portion of said shaft, the

receptacle cover having a bearing, the upper end of the dolly having a journalformation' received within said bearing when the cover is applied to the receptacle, whereby the upper end of the dolly is supported against lateral movement.

2. In a washing machine, a receptacle, a casting secured to and closing the bottom of said receptacle, a slee've integral with said casting and extending upwardly into the receptacle, the upper face-of said casting hav ing a circular depression surrounding said sleeve, astufiing box formation integral with said casting and extending downwardly therefrom, apower shaft extending upwardly through sai stufling box formation and through said sleeve 9.

onto (said stu box formation, a dolly mounted-on said shaft within the receptacle and extending downwardly over said sleeve, and. an annular formation on the bottom of said dolly closely fitting into the circular depression of thecasting and havingbearin contact against the walls defining; the side and the bottom of. the de ression whereby the dolly is supported an guided and whereby the power shaft is relieved of lateral thrusts imposed on thedolly.

3. In a washing machine, a receptacle, a cover therefor, a drive shaft'extending upwardly into the receptacle from the bottom thereof and termina ting below the cover, the receptacle having a circular depre$ion at its bottom surroundingthe shaft, the cover having a bearing, a dolly removably moun on the upper end portion'of said shaft, an annular formation on the bottom of said dolly seated in said depression: and havin hearing contact with the walls defining t e side and the bottom thereof, theup'per end portion of the dolly having a journal formation received within the bearing of the cover when the cover is applied to the receptacle.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name" to this specification.

- PAUL F, ClillAPlkfAll.

packing nut threaded i 

